SpaceX is preparing for a “profound technology milestone” by attempting to catch both parts of its Starship rocket next month.

The fifteenth flight test of the world’s biggest rocket, which is 124-metres-tall when fully stacked, is expected to launch from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in early November.

Both the Starship upper stage and Super Heavy booster will attempt to land at a launch tower, pending authorisation from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“If we succeed, it will be the first time that an orbital launch vehicle has been fully recovered,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in an earnings call with investors.

“This is, I think, a profound technology milestone in the history of civilisation and consciousness.”

Starship Flight 7 saw SpaceX catch the Super Heavy booster using a ‘chopstick’ mechanism on the launch tower at the firm’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on 16 January, 2025 (SpaceX)

SpaceX has already caught its Super Heavy booster in three previous test flights, while its…